Filipino in Australia asks Duterte help recovering ‘kidnapped’ kids

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino living in Australia is appealing to President Duterte and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to help him regain custody of his two children, who he alleges were kidnapped by social workers from the New South Wales Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ).

Inocencio Garcia, a Filipino citizen who has been living in Australia for the past 25 years, has been fighting for custody of his two children who were allegedly kidnapped by social workers from the DCJ in Mount Druitt, Blacktown City, in the Greater Sydney metropolitan area in New South Wales.

Garcia’s legal battle began in September 2014, when DCJ acting case manager Kayleigh Wotherspoon allegedly barged into their home at Whalan, New South Wales and kidnapped his daughter Jennifer and son James – age three-and-a-half and two-and-a-half years old, respectively, at the time – while he was at work.

He says the incident stemmed from their request to social workers to investigate the uncle of the children’s mother for allegedly sexually abusing her when she was 14 years old. However, instead of an investigation, Garcia alleges that the DCJ “diverted their focus to kidnapping my two children whom I love so much, and care so much, and who I had fed well, contrary to the allegations that they are suffering from abuse and malnutrition.”

Garcia has accused Wotherspoon of lying, alleging that she falsified an accusation of child abuse and malnutrition to cover up the kidnapping that she allegedly organized to make it appear that she has legal basis to take the two children into custody.

He said the case has dragged for the past seven years and “is leading to nowhere because of the secrecy of the court hearing and proceedings.” Garcia alleges that social workers are “involved in kidnappings” and claimed “fraud in the falsifying of parents’ signatures for the child adoption process.”

Garcia said that after the “kidnap” of his two children, DCJ allegedly lied, twisted facts, and fabricated and falsified allegations of domestic violence. He claims that there was never a report or case of domestic violence filed against him.

“I am a good father to my four children, I work so hard to provide them a decent life,” Garcia added.

Garcia said his two children experienced physical and psychological suffering, and were allegedly deprived of food while under custody.

“My two minor children are suffering from system crisis, they are suffering from physical injuries, psychological harm, and eventually sexual abuse under the child protection department,” he claimed. “These unscrupulous people deprived my children of the love and care of their biological parents. These people are scumbags doing evil things in the disguise of social workers,” Garcia continued.

“I am appealing for help from President Duterte and to Secretary Locsin to help me get my two children back. I know fighting justice for my children against the Australian government is like looking for a needle in a haystack. A lawsuit entails legal cost, but when I toss a coin in the air, I am hoping for the favorable outcome, I am dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon for my two children. As they say, hope springs eternal,” Garcia said.